(from Mercedes-Benz
Press Release) Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are adding the
crowning glory to the model family of their highly successful SLR
super sports car with a new, uncompromisingly spectacular car. There
is neither a roof nor a windscreen to separate the driver and
passenger from the outside world; they enjoy unadulterated
high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster. The
new SLR Stirling Moss is also characterised by the most
sophisticated technology and a breathtaking design which
reinterprets the SLR legend. With 478 kW/650 hp the SLR Stirling
Moss accelerates its V8 supercharged engine from standstill to 100
km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 350 km/h - no
other series-production car is at the same time so open and so fast.
This extreme concept makes the new high-performance sports car a
legitimate bearer of the name of the British motor racing legend and
Mille Miglia record-holder Stirling Moss, who drove the legendary
Mercedes-Benz SLR racing cars from victory to victory in 1955. The
exclusive SLR Stirling Moss rounds off the current SLR family and is
limited to 75 units. It is priced at 750,000 euros. The SLR Roadster
will cease to be manufactured at the end of May 2009 as planned, and
production of the SLR Stirling Moss will commence in June 2009.

Three letters are all it
takes to make car fans hearts beat faster: SLR. In the 1950s the
Mercedes-Benz SLR 300 celebrated victory after victory. It won the
Mille Miglia, the Eifel race, the Targa Florio as well as the
Tourist Trophy. It was driven by the stars of the time: Juan Manuel
Fangio and Karl Kling - and, first and foremost, by the British
racing driver Stirling Moss. At ten hours, seven minutes and 48
seconds he still holds the Mille Miglia record. This is why the
modern-day version of the legendary SLR carries the additional words
Stirling Moss in its name. As the new SLR Stirling Moss unites the
character of the current SLR models with the fascination of the SLR
of 1955. The core values of both the historical and the present-day
SLR models include an exciting new design, innovative technology,
high-class materials displaying perfect craftsmanship, and, above
all: a unique driving experience for all the senses.

Highly puristic concept without a
roof or a windscreen

Remaining totally true
to the specifications of the 300 SLR, the new Silver Arrows
equipment is extremely sophisticated and yet at the same time
decidedly puristic, doing without both a roof and side windows.
There are just two wind deflectors a couple of centimetres in height
to protect the driver and passenger from the airflow. Two air scoops
integrated into the bodywork serve as roll-over bars. With this
extreme concept the new SLR Stirling Moss is visually very different
from all the other vehicles which belong to the elite sports car
class.

Just like the legendary
racing vehicles of yesteryear, the SLRStirling Moss dazzles with its
superlative performance. Accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in less
than 3.5 seconds and with a top speed of 350 km/h this puristic
high-performance sports car denotes completely new dimensions in
open-top driving. And not just because of the impressive performance
figures; every time drivers take to the wheel of the SLR Stirling
Moss their senses are addressed with a previously unheard of
intensity, conveying a driving experience in its purest and most
sensual form. This automotive thoroughbred thus facilitates the kind
of open-air feeling that is utterly unique for a road-going vehicle.

Exciting design reminiscent of the
SLR racing cars

The SLR Stirling Moss,
its entire bodywork made of lightweight carbon fibre, represents a
stand-alone design concept. Whilst the Mercedes-Benz designers were
working on the body of the new SLRStirling Moss, they were fully
aware every single moment that they were creating a vehicle with a
top speed of 350 km/h. At the same time this supreme athlete is
highly reminiscent of the SLRracing cars from the 1950s, whose
design idiom still never fails to impress to this day.
The SLR Stirling Moss sports an exciting, pronounced arrow-shaped
form and is characterised by an elongated bonnet and a compact,
muscular rear. As there is no windscreen, the exterior and interior
flow smoothly into one. The bonnet also stretches from its striking
tip right down into the interior, giving the vehicle body a
distinctly sleek air. Even when standing still, the sports car
radiates such dynamism that the observer immediately falls under its
spell.

Further eye-catching
features include two air scoops behind the driver and passenger.
They carry additional roll-over bars, also uniting the traditional
and the modern. The wings are powerfully contoured. Black-painted
ventilation gills sitting facet-like on the sides and on the
bonnet also cite the legend. A thrilling interplay of light and
shadow ensues through the expressive lines, underlining the dynamic
overall impression. Exactly as they were on the shining historical
example, the side skirts on the new SLR Stirling Moss are also very
high. This prompted the designers decision in favour of folding
swing-wing doors which open forwards.

The vehicle can be
closed by two tonneau covers which are carried in the boot. When
both tonneau covers and the doors are closed the SLR Stirling Moss
resembles a sculpture.
In keeping with the puristic exterior of the vehicle, the interior
is also reduced to the bare essentials. Surfaces penetrating each
other in the instrument panel and doors make for an exciting
atmosphere and resonate perfectionism. A mixture of high-class
authentic materials such as carbon fibre, aluminium and fine-quality
leather sets the style here. An aluminium plate carries the engraved
signature of Stirling Moss and covers the area around the shift
lever.

Innovative technology and polished
aerodynamic concept

Developers working on
the Stirling Moss were able to fall back on a wealth of experience
gathered when producing the SLR Coup and Roadster, in particular
where the technical base was concerned, with its extravagant carbon-fibre
design, high-performance suspension and throaty V8 engine. The
common denominator uniting the Stirling Moss with the other members
of the SLR family is the aerodynamic concept with a closed underbody
and a diffuser in the rear bumper for maximum possible downforce at
the rear axle - with one difference: the diffuser here is
considerably larger than that on the coup and roadster.

Thanks to the
high-precision work carried out in the wind tunnel, the SLR Stirling
Moss always generates sufficient downforce for extremely safe
handling. But the driver can also manually operate the Airbrake in
order to increase the contact pressure further, during particularly
sporty driving, for example. The Airbrake is also raised during
powerful braking at speeds above 120 km/h, so as to stabilise the
vehicle even more in such situations, thus facilitating maximum
possible deceleration.

Limited to 75 units - the SLR
models crowning glory

The new SLR Stirling
Moss is the kind of high-calibre speedster coveted by the
enthusiasts alike. At the same time it marks the pinnacle of an era
and, for the foreseeable future, at least, the final curtain for the
SLR. In May 2009 production of the SLR models will cease; only a
total of 75 units of the Stirling Moss will be manufactured between
June and December 2009, bearing chassis numbers from 1 to 75. Not
only does this exclusive vehicle represent the conclusion of the
current SLR family; it also serves as a very special thank you to
the most loyal of SLR customers, for they are the only ones able to
acquire a Stirling Moss.